Motion-picture apparatus.



L. Z IEGLER. MOTION PICTURE APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILE-D SEPT- 20. 1911.

Patented Dec. 3, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

L. ZlEGLER.

MOTION PICTURE APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 20. 1911.

Patented Dec. 3, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- Patnted Dec. 3, 1918.

3 SHEETSQSHEET 3.

L ZIEGLER MOTION PICTURE APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED SEPT-20,1917.

. means therefor.

LOUIS ZIEGLER, 0F LYNIDHURST, NEW JERSEY.'\

MOTION-PICTURE APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 3, 1918.

Application filed September 20, 191 7. Serial No. 192,301. 7

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LOUIS ZIEGLER, a citizen'of the United States, and a resident of Lyndhurst, county of Bergen, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Motion-Picture Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to motion picture ap- H paratus and has for its object the impro'vement of devices of this character in antimber of important respects. In order to afford an understanding of my invention I have illustrated it in the accompanying. drawings as embodied in a projecting machine of moderate size adapted for home use and wherein an ncandescent lamp is used as the source of light. It is to be understood, however, that the invention may be embodied in other for'ms and may be used with other sources of light than the incandescentllamp, and that the machine or parts thereof may be made use of for other purposes than for the projection of moving pictures, as, for example, for the taking or photographing of moving pictures.

In the drawings forming a part of this pecification and wherein the same reference numerals are applied uniformly to designate the same parts throughout, Figure l is a perspective view of a moving picture projecting machine embodying my invention. 2, 3 and 4c are cross-sectional detail views showing the construction of the rewind apparatus. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a portion of the re-wind apparatus.

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional detail view showing the film supply box and its connection With the casing. Fig. 7. is a central, vertical,

sectional view, partly diagrammatical, of-

the apparatus shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is'a fragmentary perspective and cross-sectional detail view of a light shield and operating Fig. 9 is a view showing the operation of the intermittent feed mechanism. Fig. 10 is a fragmentary perspective and crosssectional view of the working portions of the projecting machine mechanism. Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a form of mounting for the illuminating device and an incandescent lamp in place therein, and Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the lamp and lens housing and the rack for operating the framing mechanism.

Reference numeral 10 is used to indicate the casing and housing generally. The housing may be of various forms but in the form shown comprises side boards 11 of wood or similar non-resonant material which serves to soften the sounds produced in the opera- 80 tion of the machine rather than to intensify and magnify such sound, as is the case with a housing formed entirely of sheet metal, for example. The wooden members may, of

course, be lined with sheet metal, if desired.

The housing may be completed by connecting the side members 11 by means of an edge or peripheral housing member 12 which may be of sheet metal or other material, if desired.- The apparatus maybe operated in any desired way. In the drawings I have illustrated a crank 13 for manual operation, and its shaft 14 carries a gear 15 and pulley 16. The gear .15 meshes with a pinion 17 on a shaft 18 to which is secured the light shutter here shown as comprising two arms 19,19 and laterally projecting shutter members 20, 20 secured thereto at the ends thereof and adapted to rotate within the preferably 'circular enlarged portion 21 of the housing and 30 substantially close to the peripheral walls thereof.

Within the space provided by the lateral projection of the shutter members 20 beyond the arms 19 there is'provided the lamp and 5 lens housing 22 which preferably consists of a tube 23 having an L or side opening 24 into which the source of light may be introduced, as, for example, the incandescent lamp 25 may be secured o a plate 26 which may be removably fastened in any desired way to the L or side opening 24: in the housing 22. The housing 22 has secured thereto a bracket 27, the upper and lower extensions '28 and 29 whereof are mounted to slide in suitable guides 30 so that the movement of the housing is confined to direct up and down bodily movement, and means are provided for moving the housing 22 up and down. In the form shown the member 27 is provided with rack teeth 31, and a pinion 32. on a shaft 33 and having an operating handle 34'connected thereto, serves for moving the housing up and down whereby correct framing of the picture may be secured. The bracket 27 is 108 provided with a forwardly projecting arm 35-which projects forwardly in the machine and passes through a guide opening 36 in the casing and through an opening 38 in the vertically slidable frame 39, in which the the same may comprise a lever 43, and a lock" arm 44 may be provided for locking the slide member 42 i'n'its innermost position on the shelf 41. The shelf 41 carries the film roller 45 which may be formedwith pinion teeth or may have the pinion 46 secured to its shaft to cotiperate with a gear 47 on the main intermittentfeed roll or sprocket 48'. In and out movement of the slide 42 on the bracket 41 serves to bring the rolls 45 and 48 and the spur gears or. pinions, thereon in and out of co'cipcrative position and also serves to permitthreading the film in place.

The lens tube'49 is adjustable by the screw 50 and is carried on a slide 51 which is slidable up and down on an upward extension 52 of the slide member 42. In the form shown the slide 51 encircles the slide way extension 52. This slide 51 is providedtvith pins 53 adapted to enter notches 54 in the vertically slidable member 39, and when the slide member 42 is locked in its innermost position, as

shownin Fig. 10, the lens tube 49 and its carriage 51 are locked to the vertically slidable member 39 by the pins 53 entered within the notches 54-so that the lamp housing 22, the frame 39 carrying the framing opening 40, and the lens tube 49 and lens therein, are all moved up and down together by means of the operation of the handle 34, but the slide member 42 and roll 45 carried thereby do not partake-of such up and down movement, the

slide member '42 being slidable only in and out upon the bracket 41 on the casing 10.

v The intermittent feed mechanism pref erably made use of herein forms the subjectmatter of a separate application for United,"

States Letters Patent Serial No. 186,864, for mechanical movements, filed by me on Au- 1 gust 18, 1917, and the same is not claimed herein, except in its relation to the other parts of the moving picture machine.

Upon the shaft of the intermittent roll or sprocket 48, or formed as an extension thereof. are two'sets of oppositely cut away por tions 55, 55 and 56, 56, leaving between them the central parts 57 and 58, and slide members 59 and 60, mounted in a suitable slideway 61, reciprocate opposite the cut away parts of the roll 48, as shown in Fig. 9, and

have preferably rounded ends 62. One of said reciprocating members 59 is caused to retreat as the other member 60 advances, and vice versa, and the roll48 is thereby turned through a quarter turn, then held stationary for a longer interval than that of rotation, and again turned through a quarter turn, and

this operation repeated indefinitely. The re ciprocation of the slides 59 and 60 is obtained in the form shownby providing the shaft 18 with a pair of eccentrics 63, 64, and the eccentric strap members 65, 66 operated by said eccentrics are pivoted at their ends to levers 67, 68 which in turn are pivoted at one end to links 69 and 70 and at their opposite ends are pivoted to the straight line oscillating members 59 and 60. In Fig.10 the member 60 is shown as projecting forwardly and holding the roll 49 stationary, and the member 59'is shown in retracted position. v

In Fig. 7 the slide member 42,is illustrated diagrammatically in its position when moved outward by the lever 43. It will be seen in such position the film may be readily'threaded into place, and rollers, as 71 and 72, 73 and 74 maybe provided for guiding and controlling the movement of the film as it is passed through the device. Ihe intermittent ffeed roll 48 may be formed of material such as rubber and. have a smooth periphery as illustrated, orit may be formed of other material and may be provided with sprocket teeth to enterpe'rforations in the film. When a rubber roll 48 is used it is preferably geared to theroll 45 by spur gears, as shown.

The roll of film 75 may be placed in the supply box 76 provided witha'door 77 and having a slot 78 formed between rollers or guides 79 and 80 through which the film may freely pass. Driving arrangements may be resorted to for forming a loop in the film before it passes the exhibition aperture, but in the form shown I have secured substan tially the same efiect by providing a guide roll 81 which extends well out in front of the casing and being; supported, in the form shown, upon side bars 82 and the film passing over the roll 81, is not delivered directly or vertically to the passage comprising the exhibition aperture, but is delivered thereto at an inwardly extending angle, as illustrated at 83. in Fig.- 7, and the slack of the film, as it is freely fed out of the supply box 76, automatically produces a loopof loose film as illustrated in dotted lines at 84 in operation of the device as the film is intermittently fed forward by the roll 48.

I preferably provide a shield for shutting off the light from the film at any time desired, as, for example, if the film should at any time be Stationary opposite the exhibition aperture where it 'is exposed to the heating effects of the light used. In a machine utilizing an incandescent electric lamp, preferably of the nitrogen type and in which the heat effects are inconsiderable, it is not essential'that suchlight shield should be automatic in its operation. In the form shown a shield 86 is carried on a rod 87 pressed un- -Fig. 7, thereby securing a freely moving memes ward by a spring 88, and a lock lever 89 having a thumb piece 90 is pivoted at 91 adjacent to a finger piece 92 on the upper end of the rod 87.

The shield 86 is normally above the exposure aperture 40, but when it is desired to close the aperture the shield may be pushed down by the finger piece 92 and locked in placeby the locking lever 89 whereby the exposure aperture is closed.

When it is desired to. open the exposure aperture 37vthe locking lever 89 is turned on its pivot, releasing the finger piece 92, and the rod 87 is thrownupward by the spring 88 carrying the shield 86 above the exposure aperture 40 and. leaving the latter freely open. To close the aperture 40 it is only necessary to push down on the finger piece 92 and to turn the locking lever 89 over it.

- Means for winding the film after exposure are preferably provided, and in the form shown such means are provided in the base of the machine wherein there is formed a slot 93 in which there is pivotally received a guide member 94 comprising two' partially circular plates 95, 95 and connected together by cross pieces 96. Each of theseplates 95, 95 is provided with a notched out segs mental portion 97 and with stop members or pins 98, and the front of the casing is similarly notched out, as shown at 99, Figs. 1 and 7. When the member 94 is turned downwardly with the stop pins 98in contact with the machine casing, as shown in Fig. 1, there is afforded a guide on each side for the film being wound up and extending all the way around, the walls of the slot 93 in the casing serving to fill out the spaces left by the segmental notches 97 but when the member 94 is turned on its central pivot until the stop members 98 attain their uppermost position, it will readily beseen that access can be had for the hand oi the operator toreach inwardly and to insert the end of the film in the slot 100 formed in the rewind shaft 101for thatpurpose, 6 1' may otherwise attach the ends of the film to the shaft 101. This shaft 101 is adapted to be rotated as by a pulley wheel 102 turned by a belt 103 from the pulley wheel 16 on the main shaft 14, and such shaft 101 is also adapted to have longitudinal movement with respect to the pulley 102 as well as to t? me use of a square shaft or of a spline or other projecting device, may be resorted to.

Means, such as a lever 106, having a notch 107 to fit over the shaft 101, are provided to prevent accidental longitudinal movement of the shaft 101, the lever 106' being received between flanges or collars 108 and 109 on the shaft 101. The slot 100 in the shaft 101 extends to the end thereof as shown in Fig. 2, and when the end of the film has been. inserted into place in said slot and the film wound thereon, the roll of film may be freed by liftipg the lever 106 by the handle 110 and moving the shaft 101 lengthwise, whereupon the end of the film passed through the end of the slot 100 passes out the open end thereof and the roll-of film may be readily removed from the receptacle 94. After the film has been removed the shaft 101 can be pushed back in place and the locking lever 106 inserted between the flanges 108, 109, thereby locking the shaft 101 in such inward position.

The operation of the device will be readily understood from the foregoing. The film is placed in the supply receptacle 76 where it turns loosely on a pin or other support and passes out the slot 78, over the loop forming roller 81, and the slide 43 having been moved outward by the handle 44 the film is threaded between the levers 71, 72, 73, 74 and past the exposure aperture 40 and between the intermittent feed rolls 48 and 45, and'the end thereof may be inserted in the slot 100 in the shaft 101 in the re-wind mechanism. Upon rotation of the operating device, as the handle 13, the intermittent feedroll 49 is actuated by the reciprocating members 59 and 60, and the shaft 18, which serves, through the eccentric straps, rods and levers already referred to, to reciprocate the members 59 and and thereby secure the intermittent feed of the film, also serves to actuate the shutter arms 19 and shutters 20 to shut off the light during the small interval that the intermittent motion of the film takes place and to permit passage of the light during the time the film is stationary, in the usual well known manner. When the film has been wound up it may be removed by moving the shaft 101 endwise, as already explained. The belt 103 is preferably loose enough to slip, when necessary, in re-winding. To frame the picture the handle 34 is operated and it serves to move upwardly and downwardly the lamp, lens housing 22, the slide 39 containing the exposure aperture 40 and the lens tube 49 carried on the slide 51 secured to the slide 39 by pins 53 received in notches 54, thereby readily securing at all times a picture correctly framed upon the screen without disturbing the relation between the lamp, lenses and light aperture.

If the film is stopped and it is desired to shut off the light at any time, the handle 92 is pushed down and locked in place by the locking lever 89, whereupon the light aperture is closed until the handle piece 92 is freed by retracting the locking lever 89. It

will be understood that the slot 93 and the portions of film here shown exposed may be covered by suitable cover plates when desired, though with the use of an incandescent lamp there is no real occasion for such precautions. v I

It is to be understood that the embodiment of my invention illustrated and de scribed herein is only for the purpose of affording a clear understanding of my invention, and that'I am not to be limited thereby but that my invention is as broad as my claims, and that changes in and departures from the particular structure shown may be resorted to within the scope of said claims and without departing from my invention or sacrificing any of the ad vantages thereof. v

' I claim:

- 1. In motion picture apparatus, a vertically movable lamp and condenser lens housing, a rack thereon, a pinion engaging said rack, a handle for turning said pinion, an

arm projecting. forwardly from said hous-f ing, and means carryinga lens tube and adapted to be moved inwardly and outwardly with respect to the said housing, said means having an aperture which is entered by said arm when it is moved inwardly toward said housing 2. In motion picture apparatus, a revoluble shutter comprising a pair of arms and shutter blades extending laterally therefrom to provide a space between the shutter blades, a lamp and condenser lens housing vertically movable within the space between the shutter blades, a lens tube beyond the path of movement of the shutter blades, and

means for moving the lens tube up anddown with the housing.

3. In motion picture apparatus, a lam and condenser lens housing, shutter blades adapted to rotate about the housing and past the ends thereof, a lens tube located beyond the path of rotation of the shutter blades, means for moving the housing up and down, and an arm secured thereto and extending 'therebeyond and adapted to move the lens tube up and down with the housing.

4. In motion picture apparatus, a source of light, a shutter rotating therearound, means for moving the source of light up and down, a lens through which the-light from said source is projected, and means for moving said lens up and downin unison with the source of light.

5. In motion picture apparatus, an inwardly and outwardly movable slide member adapted when moved outwardly to permit a film to bethreaded into place, a lens tube carried by said member and vertically movable thereon, a movable source of light, and means movable with the source of light for moving said lens tube up and down on said slidable' member.

6. In motion picture apparatus, a mem- 'ber slidable in and out and adapted when of September, 1917.

ouis ZIEGLER. 

